Certain chronic diseases may be treated, according to modern medical techniques, by delivering a medication or other substance to a patient's body, either in a continuous manner or at particular times or time intervals within an overall time period. For example, diabetes is a chronic disease that is commonly treated by delivering defined amounts of insulin to the patient at appropriate times. Some common modes of providing an insulin therapy to a patient include delivery of insulin through manually operated syringes and insulin pens. However, other modem systems employ programmable pumps to deliver controlled amounts of insulin to a patient.
Pump type delivery devices have been configured in external devices (that connect to a patient) or implantable devices (to be implanted inside of a patient's body). External pump type delivery devices include devices designed for use in a stationary location (for example, in a hospital or clinic), and further devices configured for ambulatory or portable use (to be carried by a patient). Examples of some external pump type delivery devices are described in Published PCT Application WO 01/70307 (PCT/US01/09139) titled “Exchangeable Electronic Cards For Infusion Devices” (which is owned by the assignee of the present invention), Published PCT Application WO 04/030716 (PCT/US2003/028769) titled “Components And Methods For Patient Infusion Device,” Published PCT Application WO 04/030717 (PCT/US2003/029019) titled “Dispenser Components And Methods For Infusion Device,” U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0065760 titled “Method For Advision Patients Concerning Doses Of Insulin,” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,229 titled “Wearable Self-Contained Drug Infusion Device,” each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
External pump type delivery devices may be connected in fluid-flow communication to a patient-user, for example, through a suitable hollow tubing. The hollow tubing may be connected to a hollow needle that is designed to pierce the patient-user's skin and deliver infusion media there-through. Alternatively, the hollow tubing may be connected directly to the patient as or through a cannula.
In contexts in which the hollow tubing is connected to the patient through a hollow needle that pierces the patient's skin, a manual insertion of the needle into the patient can be somewhat traumatic to the patient. Accordingly, insertion tools have been made to assist the insertion of a needle into the patient, whereby a needle is forced by a spring to quickly move from a retracted position into an extended position. One example of such an insertion tool is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0022855, titled “Insertion Device For An Insertion Set And Method Of Using The Same” (assigned to the assignee of the present invention), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As the needle is moved into the extended position, the needle is quickly forced through the patient's skin in a single, relatively abrupt motion that can be less traumatic to a patient as compared to a slower, manual insertion of a needle.
As compared to syringes and insulin pens, pump type delivery devices can be significantly more convenient to a patient, in that accurate doses of insulin may be calculated and delivered automatically to a patient at any time during the day or night. Furthermore, when used in conjunction with glucose sensors or monitors, insulin pumps may be automatically controlled to provide appropriate doses of infusion medium at appropriate times of need, based on sensed or monitored levels of blood glucose.
Pump type delivery devices have become an important aspect of modern medical treatments of various types of medical conditions, such as diabetes. As pump technologies improve and doctors and patients become more familiar with such devices, the popularity of external medical infusion pump treatment increases and is expected to increase substantially over the next decade.
However, many types of pump type delivery devices have been relatively expensive to obtain and to operate over a period of time. Some pump type delivery devices require relatively complicated and time consuming procedures for re-filling or replacing spent infusion media. Some pump type delivery devices can only be used for a prescribed period of time or require disposal or substantial rebuilding of key components after a prescribed number of uses.
Accordingly, a need exists for an infusion pump device and system that meets the increased demand for ambulatory infusion devices and that combines beneficial features of prior pump devices (including capabilities for continuous infusion, precision dosing, programmable delivery schedules, controlled operation based on sensor or monitor data) with additional features that allow the pump device and system to be operated economically and efficiently over a sufficient length of time. A further need exists for such infusion pump devices and systems which include features for simplifying re-filling or replacement of infusion media.